Court grants bail to Ulfa leader Anup Chetia, road clear for release

Chetia, lodged in the Guwahati Central Jail, was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 30,000 and a surety from one individual, Mahajan said.

Anup Chetia, leader of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), was handed over to India by Bangladesh where he was in jail since his arrest by the country’s police in 1997 on charges of cross-border intrusion, carrying fake passports and illegally keeping foreign currencies.(AFP)

Ulfa general secretary Anup Chetia was granted bail on Wednesday in the last of the four cases registered against him, paving the way for his release from jail.

Chetia’s counsel Bijon Mahajan told reporters quoting the CBI investigation officer as saying that the investigating agency does not have any objection if Chetia is granted bail.

Before granting bail, the additional sessions judge also went through the case diary.

Chetia, lodged in the Guwahati Central Jail, was granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 30,000 and a surety from one individual, Mahajan said.

“The court, however, granted the bail with conditions that Chetia cannot hamper the process of investigation and he cannot leave the jurisdiction of the special judicial magistrate without prior permission,” the senior advocate said.

Chetia had earlier been granted bail in three cases out of the four that were registered after his deportation to India from Bangladesh.

On Tuesday, Chetia secured bail from the additional sessions judge in one of the cases.

On December 17, the designated court here had allowed the Ulfa leader to be on bail in two Tada cases for facilitating his trial and for him to participate in the ongoing peace process.

Chetia was handed over to India by Bangladesh where he was in jail since his arrest by the country’s police in 1997 on charges of cross-border intrusion, carrying fake passports and illegally keeping foreign currencies.